Why is it important to have an EEG for epilepsy patients? Since epilepsy is an abnormality in the electrical activity of the brain, and this abnormality in electrical activity cannot be directly confirmed with CT, MRI and other laboratory methods, only an EEG can detect abnormal brain discharges to determine if it is epilepsy or what type of epilepsy. This is why EEG is the most important laboratory test in the diagnosis of epilepsy. Is EEG harmful to the body? EEG is a non-invasive technique that records the bioelectrical activity of brain cells through electrodes attached to the scalp without any electrical stimulation to the patient. There is no significant discomfort to the patient during the test. A child with epilepsy will have an EEG many times during his or her lifetime, but no matter how many times it is done, it is not harmful to the body. Why is long-range EEG monitoring necessary? Epileptic discharges are highly random. Conventional EEGs can only record for 20-30 minutes and often have difficulty capturing abnormal brain discharges. 24-hour EEGs can greatly increase the positive rate of the test. The positive rate of video EEG (3-4 hours) is similar to that of 24-hour EEG, and the patient’s seizures can be recorded for the physician’s diagnosis, which is currently the most reliable test for diagnosing epilepsy, especially for pediatric patients with frequent seizures or those who cannot tolerate prolonged monitoring. Why should I be deprived of sleep before having an EEG test? EEG abnormalities and seizures are closely related to sleep. In most epileptic patients, abnormal discharges occur only during sleep or are significantly increased during sleep. Sleep deprivation must be performed the night before the test in order to ensure that the patient can sleep well during the daytime monitoring tests. Drug-induced sleep may affect the results of the EEG. Whether or not effective sleep deprivation is performed directly affects the positive rate of EEG. Parents should help their child with sleep deprivation as prescribed by their physician. Other precautions before EEG monitoring Wash hair the day before the examination. It is best to shave the head of infants under 1 year old to minimize discomfort when placing and removing electrodes in the child. The child should eat the morning of the test and should not have an empty stomach. Children who are on antiepileptic drugs should generally take them as usual without stopping them. A parent should accompany the child at the time of monitoring.